One industry surged DC lobbying 337% under Trump — here’s what’s driving the push

Companies are paying lobbyists to seek exemptions from tariffs instead of using that money to grow their businesses, hire workers or raise wages, according to a new report from Advancing American Freedom (AAF).

The group, founded by former Vice President Mike Pence, found that lobbying disclosures mention tariffs rising 239% in the third quarter of 2026 compared with the same period in 2024.

The total spending reported on those filings jumped 337%, though it may include lobbying on issues beyond tariffs.

Fourteen organizations spent more than $1 million on lobbying in the third quarter, up from two in the same quarter of 2024.

Another 105 spent more than $100,000, compared with 26 two years earlier.

Tariffs and prices

Tariffs may also be affecting prices consumers pay, with Federal Reserve Bank of New York researchers estimating they added 2.9 percentage points to prices across the consumer goods they studied, including imported and U.S.-made products.

Greszler warned that small businesses unable to afford lobbyists to seek tariff exclusions could be forced to scale back or close.

Economic impact

A separate analysis from Advancing American Freedom estimated tariffs resulted in about 75,000 fewer manufacturing jobs in their first year and up to 1 million fewer jobs nationwide than would have been expected under pre-tariff trends.

The group said manufacturing was among the hardest-hit sectors, despite being a central target of the administration’s effort to bring factory work back.

U.S. trade with Canada fell by $50 billion, or 6.5%, before the latest round of Section 338 tariffs took effect.

During that period, imports from other countries rose instead of U.S. manufacturing expanding.

Next steps

As the administration continues to reshape trade policy, businesses will have to decide whether to keep spending on lobbyists and tariff planning or delay investments, hiring and expansion until the rules become clearer.